A Lovely Place to Visit

I just had a birthday, and with it came the realization that I am now a member of a group I never imagined I’d belong to: The Old Maids Club. You remember the Old Maid card game, right? It’s the one where the loser was the one who ended up with the Old Maid card—but how many of us considered that we might one day be the Old Maid? I certainly didn’t see it coming, and, like most kids, thoughts about the future didn’t go far beyond the arrival of the Sears Christmas catalog. If mention of the Christmas catalog, with its legendary toy section, gives you the warm fuzzies, head on over to this website—where someone (who I’d love to hug) has uploaded select department store catalogs dating as far back as 1940—and get your fill of nostalgia:

https://christmas.musetechnical.com/

You’re welcome.

Although I’ve reached the age where I’m apt to stare off into space wistfully and utter, “Those were the days,” I’m very aware of how important it is to live in the present and embrace it for what it is because even though the past holds some fantastic memories, it also has some not-so-good ones. Plus, if I’m too busy focusing on what was, I can’t concentrate on and appreciate what is.

I look back over the years and see that there are so many things I wanted in my life that I thought I’d never have. And I’m not talking about material things (although it is nice to have a car that doesn’t break down every third month)—I’m talking about the things that truly matter—inner peace, for example. I no longer look back and think about what I did or didn’t do, what I could have done, or what I would change. Instead, I look at where I am today and allow myself to be at peace with who I am and how I got here.

I think about the people in my life that I love and who love me, and I’m grateful for them. And while I’ll never forget the ones who are no longer around, I understand they had a purpose in my life, and I had one in theirs; once those purposes are fulfilled, the natural progression is to move on toward the next.

Each experience and person in my life led me to where I am today—a place where I have tranquility, a little wisdom, and few regrets. It’s a place filled with understanding the importance of the present. Focusing on doing my best and enjoying my life now keeps me from ruminating over the past and worrying about the future.

All of our yesterdays make up who we are today, and while I think the past helps guide our decisions in our current journeys, I also think it’s not good to dwell there. Because Memory Lane is like a favorite vacation spot—it’s lovely to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.